Apple revealed it. Selected media outlets tested it. Buyers will have to decide: is the iPhone 15 with a revamped camera and a USB-C connector worth the $1,129 charged by Apple Canada? Especially if, ultimately, the $1,749 iPhone 15 Pro Max is the more attractive option?
That the most expensive iPhone is the most recommendable is deplorable, but predictable. Apple leads the phone market because the revenue it makes from each of its phones is growing faster than the industry as a whole. Its buyers are ready to pay more and more for an iPhone and its multitude of applications.
According to industry statistics, they keep it twice as long as Android phone owners. The iPhone 15 delivered from September 22 will reinforce this distinction. This is what a few days of testing its four variations reveals.
iPhone 15
Compared to the iPhone 14, the newcomer has a new, more shock-resistant case, rounded edges and stylish pastel tones. Its camera has a sensor that produces very detailed photos of 12, 24 or even 48 megapixels. Apple had to change its connector, called Lightning, in favor of a USB-C port, but the data transfer rate is the same as before, i.e. 480 megabits per second (Mb/s). That’s all. And it’s 30 Canadian dollars more expensive than the previous model.
Because it’s the law in some places, Apple improved the repairability of its iPhone this year. For example, specialized workshops will be able to replace a shattered screen at a lower cost. But still: exchanging an iPhone 13 or 14 for an iPhone 15 doesn’t have much point, unless you upgrade to a Pro or Pro Max. The iPhone 15 stands out especially compared to older iPhones, dating from before 2019.
At the time, the largest iPhone had a 5.5-inch diagonal display. The two iPhone 15 choices: 6.1 or 6.7 inches. That’s a lot more pixels… and they’re brighter. As a bonus, no more notch, this black strip which cut off part of the display at the top of the device. A funnier black bubble located a few pixels lower now replaces it.
iPhone 15 Pro
The higher we go up the range, the greater the price gap compared to 2022. The Pro Max, the most imposing of the four new versions, costs $200 more than a year earlier. Its titanium case is streamlined and lightweight. It fits really well in the hand. A new button whose command can be customized appears on the left of the case. She lets herself be adopted quite naturally. Annoying detail: it is on the wrong side to act as a trigger for the camera.
The USB-C port on the iPhone Pro and Pro Max adopts the USB 3.0 standard for a maximum transfer rate of 10 gigabits per second (10 Gbps), which is huge. This is 20 times more than the maximum throughput of the non-Pro iPhone!
Their processor, called A17 Pro, is also new. It transforms them into a full-fledged video game console. Moreover, Ubisoft will launch in October Assassin’s Creed Mirage, the next chapter in its video game saga created in Montreal, in version for consoles and in native version… for iPhone 15 Pro. Simply pair a video game controller to play – including a controller for PlayStation or Xbox. We highly recommend an accessory like the Backbone One, which transforms the iPhone 15 Pro into a direct rival to the Nintendo Switch.
The iPhone Pro uses an OLED display which stays on in standby, and which becomes a table dial when you charge the phone in a horizontal position. That’s fun too. On the battery side, Apple announces 23 hours of video playback per charge for the iPhone 15 Pro. Probably in airplane mode: its actual battery life is around 12 hours of sustained use. The Pro Max does it better: it’s designed to stay up late.
iCamera
His camera too. Nighttime photos and videos are surprisingly bright and colorful. The portraits are striking.
This is explained by the new periscopic telephoto lens with three-axis stabilization of the Pro Max. It behaves like a 120mm lens, the equivalent on this phone of a 5x zoom. The key: optical stabilization. Samsung has a Galaxy S with 30x zoom (which can be “stretched” up to 100x). The resulting photos are grainy, blurry and unusable.
The Pro Max sensor allows you to double the optical zoom to 10x (25x with digital editing). The images are sharper, less “pixelated”. The videos are fluid and gripping. Really, this model could simply have been called iPhone 15 Pro Photo. Or iCamera, outright. The Pro Max is aimed at serious amateur photographers, or daring professionals (there are some).
We almost forget that it is basically a telephone.
Headphones all the time
The commercial success of AirPods headphones has surprised many analysts since their appearance in 2016, but it is a proven way for Apple to extract more revenue from its customers.
Apple has also changed the case for its AirPods Pro headphones, which can now be charged directly on the iPhone, via USB-C. The others will follow. To underline everything, Apple is introducing three new features: an adaptive soundproofing mode which only filters noises deemed impertinent, an automated sound level, and voice detection which deactivates soundproofing to avoid removing your headphones when you engage the conversation.
Detection is only activated when the AirPods wearer speaks. He will therefore not hear what his interlocutor says to him first. It will have to be repeated. Already everyone has their head in their phone almost all the time, will AirPods owners push their rudeness to the point of only listening to you once they have first addressed you? word?
We bet that this will anger those who already rail against mobile gadgets. Those who wear AirPods Pro won’t know anything about it: they won’t hear them moaning anyway…